farm (Topics. 
BUCEPHALUS BROWN’S NOTIONS AND 
IDEAS. 
The Nitrogen ok Manure.—I like criti- 
cism, because, even when mortifying, it may 7 
be instructive. But I like it definite. Vague 
or superficial criticism benefits nobody. As 
nearly as I can gather from his indefinite ex¬ 
pressions, Henry Stewart (p. 2S7) thinks 1 mis¬ 
quoted or misinterpreted Sir. J. B. Lawes’s 
report of his long-continued experiment in 
dung fertilization, tl 1 did so, he should 
have shown it. 1 did not. preserve the article 
from which I quoted, but 1 am certain that 1 
neither misquoted nor “superficially con¬ 
sidered” it. Neither (on the grounds sot forth 
by Mr. S.), is it at all “clear” that 1 “misun¬ 
derstood” Sir John’s statements. I am aston¬ 
ished that Mr. Stewart should so carelessly 
assume that there could be no valuable unused 
fertility left in laud upon which it might be 
necessary to continue to “supply the same 
quautity of nitrogen annually,” to secure an 
equal crop of a single kind. 
A Broader View. As I understand the 
matter (not having the data before me), Sir 
John was growing wheat continuously for 
many years upon a plot fertilized with dung 
aloue. There was no rotation, nor any 7 change 
of fertilization. If the experiment showed 
that the dressing could not be lessened with 
out lessening the crop, it is still not a legiti¬ 
mate deduction, under the circumstances, 
that there was no accumulation of available 
plant-food of any sort in the soil. As the 
nitrogen compounds are the most evusive, 
going off in the drainage water, and other¬ 
wise uot only failing to materialize in the 
crop, but either forming unavailable combi¬ 
nations, or actually vanishing beyond the 
chemist’s reach—it would seem quite fair to 
assume that a considerable accumulation 
of other plant-food might have goue on 
during the SO yeara or more of the trial, and 
that this might afterwards be recovered in 
crops, under a proper rotation. 
Green Seed Corn. —I have long known 
that green corn, carefully dried, without sour¬ 
ing or freezing, would germinate strongly. 
I have never seen sweet corn in Northern 
New England get beyond the dough stage in 
the field; yet there is no better seed than this 
when carefully cured by artificial heat. But 
with flint, and especially with dent corns of 
the Tuscarora type, what, would be the effect 
of using unripe seed continuously over a 
series of years? I have heard or read that it 
was in this way sweet, corn originated. 
The Profit of Farming,— This is a vexed 
topic, yet there are general principles which 
might serve as a guide to its solution, which 
seem rarely to be recognized. In the growth 
of the great staples of agriculture, wheat, 
corn and cotton, prices must depend, in the 
long run, upon the average cost of production 
and transportation, the world over. If the 
individual farmer has a more than average 
chance, or is more than an average farmer, 
he will r ealize a profit on his crops. If he is 
below the average in these points he makes no 
profit or incurs a loss. In agriculture, as in 
every other vocation, there is most room 
“up high.” Farming is the safest of nil busi¬ 
nesses. It can be made the most profitable of 
all businesses having to do with unroouopo- 
lizod products. It. is also the most independ¬ 
ent of all businesses to the man who knows 
how. But the time is past when anybody 7 can 
be a successful farmer. 
Cheese and Macaroni. —I am glad to see 
Mr. Curtis (p. 288) urge the importance of 
making good cheese. If the Amer ican people 
are ever to become cheese caters, it will only 
come as the result of such an improvement in 
tho manufacture as to make a fine-flavored 
and digestible product common in tho market 
at a price which will bring it into favorable 
competition with fresh and cured meats. 
Cheese has several advantages over these ip 
point of economy. It is much more nutri¬ 
tious, weight for weight; it is without waste; 
it can be kept on hand, and is quickly avail¬ 
able. The use of cheese in cookery is increasing, 
and when we can get our macaroni as cheap uud 
as good as in Italy (and why may we not?) 
cheese will be greatly iu request to flavor and lo 
nitrogenize this and other carbonaceous foods. 
I use them in my family, though I pay more 
than four times as much for macaroni as it 
costs in Italy. Here is a field—two fields—for 
some smart men to make money in. 
Heating Mii.k.—M r. Curtis also calls atten¬ 
tion to the importance of destroying ferment 
germs in separator nnlk by heating to 140 de¬ 
grees. 1 believe this is so important a matter 
that it will some time be made compulsory by 
law that all milk, to be manufactured or sold 
THE RURAt NEW-YORKER. MAY 24 
fresh, should first be raised to a temperature 
sufficiently high to destroy both ferment and 
disease germs. When we consider the atmo¬ 
sphere to which most milk is exposed while 
being drawn from the cow, one need not ho a 
“germ fanatic” to realize the great importance 
of such a simple and easy method of purifica¬ 
tion, in so widely used an article of food as 
milk and its products. 
CORRESPONDENTS’ VIEWS. 
AGRICULTURE IN THE CABINET. 
On page 200 is an item from the Press 
against the bill to put agriculture iuto the 
Cabinet. The Press thinks not one farmer in 
10 would vote for such h change. At a meet¬ 
ing of the Patrons of Husbandry held at Chi¬ 
cago iu 1870,a strong resolution was passed urg¬ 
ing the farmers to demand that a Department 
of Agriculture he established with a Cabinet 
officer at its head. With few except inns this 
measure has been pushed before Congress 
every year since then. All members of the 
Order are urged to support it. ft looks to me 
like this; If a little bunch of war sloops, cutters 
and dispatch bouts are entitled to a Cabinet 
office, or if it needs an executive to supply a 
mere handful of men, called a regular army, 
how much more does agriculture demaud a 
voice. A. w s. 
Plainville, Conn. 
R. N.-Y.—The main point raised by the 
Press was that the proposed Secretary of Ag¬ 
riculture would have little chance to benefit 
agriculture. There are other things which 
fanners need more than they do this. The 
Cabinet office could be used as a “sop” to throw 
at farmers wheu they asked for legislation in 
earnest. This was the position taken by (he Press 
as we understoodib. Other writers have shown 
how, if agriculture were put into the Cabinet, 
there could be uo excuse for denying manu¬ 
facturing, transportation, law. dentistry or 
any other profession an equal right. Agri¬ 
culture, however, is far more important than 
any other industry both in the number of people 
engaged in it, and in the value of its products. 
It is this that moves the wheels of every other 
important industry, and supplies the fuod and 
capital for carrying them on. Iu this country 
it is relatively far more important than in any 
other, yet In nearly every other country in 
which agriculture makes a prominent show 
it has been found advisable to create a Minis¬ 
try of Agriculture whose head has a seat in 
the Cabinet. This is theca.se across the bor¬ 
der in Canada, and across the ocean iu France, 
Spain, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Germany and 
Russiu. In some of these the Ministry of Ag¬ 
riculture is joined with that of Commerce, 
and in others with other departments of 
national administration. What has proved 
advantageous for agriculture elsewhere could 
hardly prove detrimental to it here. This, no 
doubt, Is the reason why at every great con- 
vention of farmers, stockmen, flookmasters, 
horticulturists, pomologists, agricultural sci¬ 
entists, and other agricultural representative 
organizations for the last half dozen years or 
so, resolutions advocating the elevation of the 
chief of the Department of Agriculture to a 
seat in the Cabinet have been always heartily 
and generally unanimously approved. 
Grange Insurance. —“An Old Farmer” on 
page 287, gives what seems to me n fair state¬ 
ment of insurance. In several townships iu 
this and Tioga bounty we have an insurance 
company managed by the Grange, which 
works well thus far. Any responsible mem¬ 
ber of the Patrons of Husbandry ean join by 
paying 81-50, and 50 cents additional for each 
$1,000 worth of property insured. No further 
payments are required except on actual losses 
by fire, sustained by members of this company 
or for the actual necessary expenses needed for 
conducting business. From the dute of its or¬ 
ganization in 1877, till the end of 1885, the 
amount paid out was only 1 cent, on the 
dollar. 1 have been a member for one year,and 
have had no assessment yet. There has been 
no loss since 1884. The amount insured at the 
end of 1885 was $641,364.68. It is now over 
$ 1 , 000 , 000 . The business is conducted by di¬ 
rectors chosen by the members, so there are 
no large sulanes to pay. This, of course, cuts 
down the expenses to a remarkable degree. 
Nothing but farm property is insured. While 
tho Grange does such work, teaching tho far¬ 
mers to combine for mutual protection and 
benefit, it is strange that men cannot see how 
it would help them to join. The Grange is in¬ 
deed an educator and can wield a wonderful 
power for good if wisely directed. 
Bradford Co., Pa. g. a. parcell. 
The point was made iu a recent Rural that 
with the soiling system of cattle feeding in 
practice,three-fourths of the fences on the farm 
might come dowu. This is true, and nine-tenths 
of farmers cannot appreciate what a blessing 
this would he. Not only wil 1 the plowing, culti¬ 
vating aud other horse work bo handier, but 
land enough will be saved to pay well for the 
cultivation. It is hard to get a fence that does 
not leave a strip of soil at least four feet wide 
either not cultivated at all or so poorly culti¬ 
vated that the crop will not pay for the labor 
spent upon it. On large farms this makes a 
tract of land almost large enough to raise soil¬ 
ing crops for all tho cattle on them. h. b. j. 
Portage Co., Ohio 
[R. N.-Y.—This is a good instance of what 
a thorough organization among good farmers 
can accomplish. So long as such a movement 
can be kept within proper bounds, it will con¬ 
tinue to be a success. If an attempt is made 
to make it too large there will be danger. 
With heavier funds to handle there will bo 
greater temptation for dishonesty, and a very 
large membership will endanger the formation 
of factions which will eventually cause a split 
in the organization. It is well to make haste 
slowly iu such insurance organizations. 
When one is well on its feet a conservative 
policy is better than an aggressive one. 
The rabbi .s almost eat us out of house and 
home. I find they like peas best of all vegeta¬ 
bles. I have wet the vines and sprayed abed- 
bug poison over them and thus killed many 
rabbits. For trees, I take wire screen doth, 
large enough td go around the tree, aud fasten 
it with wire. This has kept them away. I 
shall apply a good coating of coal tar to the 
wire-cloth. 1 like your pictures well. Let 
the “seed store” confine itself to practical ex¬ 
periments with new sorts. Let the farmer 
buy his own seeds of all standard sorts. 
San Pete Co., Utah martin wright. 
I always dump rny dry horse manure 
into the gutter back of the cows. Thero it 
soaks up the uriue aud comes out 25 per ceut. 
richer to pay for the trouble. It is quite a 
chore to keep this work up, but to my mind, it 
pays better than any chore that I can do. 
Enough fertilizer has soaked through the sta¬ 
ble floors of this country to double the crops, 
if it could now lie saved and applied. 
Portage CO , OWO. C. H. J. 
Last season was very dry here. My grape¬ 
vines matured aud the grapes ripened before 
their time, then a rain came. Tho vines and 
grapes took on a new growth. This new 
growth put new green, fresh juice into the 
grapes, and soured them like canned fruit that 
had soured and spoiled. They were not fit to 
eat. Has any such occurrence been noticed 
before? f. p. 
Look port, N. Y. 
Huntl (Topics. 
MY THEORY OF SELLING. 
Anybody can sell tho produce of his farm 
on the open market, provided it be of a grade 
fully up to tho average. But all of us have 
from time to time to disjKiso of what may 
properly be called culls—goodH not fully 
up to the market standard. We have all 
grades to sell, from the very poorest that no¬ 
body wants, to the extra-prime that has n ready 
sale. It takes a skillful man to get the best 
prices for the best grades; but it takes an ex¬ 
pert to sell the culls. Sometimes the defects 
are hidden ones, aud there is where the hon¬ 
esty of the farmer is most sorely tried. 
To be able to sell to the best advantage in 
all cases, first of all, become a good judge of 
quality iu the products iu which you are most 
interested. Then be impartial—able to grade 
your own property as truly to standard as 
you would that of your neighbor whom you 
don’t like. Do not take the highest or the 
lowest as a standard; but a good average of the 
product or article under fairly good manage¬ 
ment, for that is the standard of the 
open market. Sell what will rank as stand¬ 
ard on the market at the market price, aud do 
not abuse the buyer because he cannot pay 
you more. Neither blame the Administra¬ 
tion nor the weather, uor cheat the buyer in 
weights to make it up. 
Whatever you may huve that will rank as 
fancy in it* line somebody will want aud will 
be willing to pay more than the market price 
to get it. Find that man and sell to him. 
You will find him an easy man to deal with, 
who will pay your price il' within the bounds 
of reason. Ho deals upon honor, and beware 
how you deceive him. Ou this class of goods 
one often sets his price, and much skill and no 
little experience are needed always to fix a 
proper rate. 
All of this is well enough, but it is not every 
man who is both willing and able to sell a poor 
thing or a defective piece of property for 
what it is. You will often have to take the 
buyer’s price and it will be little enough. But 
never comprianise your.iutcgrity for tho dollar 
or five dollars you might realize by deceit in 
representing the quality. Bay plainly, “There 
it is. It is for sale for what it is. Its defects 
are so aud so. It is good for such and such 
purposes.” 
Rarely will you find a buyer who will take 
advantage of your position any more than if 
you praise what both you and he know to be 
defective, and beware liow you deal when the 
defects are hidden. I bold that those farmers 
who pursue this policy will realize nearly as 
much for their culls.and much more for really 
fine articles. Ruch a policy soon wins a man 
a reputation for fair dealing, anil he ean often 
trade when others cannot, because his word is 
reliable. 
The great mass of business is done upon 
honor. Do uot be an Isbmalite in business. 
You know more about your own products 
thau any other man can. Then sell them for 
what they are, not, for what they ought to be. 
If we expect to do this we will work the hard¬ 
er to produce more of the finest grades, for 
Who wants to be always selling culls? I am 
not advocating careless selling, but honest 
sol hug. Work for a market. Advertise for 
it. Warrrant everything you sell to be as 
recommended, and sell ou your personal guar¬ 
anty. EUGENE DAVENPORT. 
Burry Co., Michigan. 
SILAGE AND COTTON SEED FOR COWS. 
PROFESSOR F. A. GULLEY. 
Five years' experience with ensilage; various 
modes of filling the silos; different ensilage 
crops; when to cut; the. silo an eliminator 
of the uncertain weather factor; how to 
feed silage; good for all kinds of cattle 
for every purpose. 
We have just, finished feeding out our last 
year’s ensilage crop, and we have now had the 
fifth winter’s trial of this food. We now 
rate ensilage as one of the standard crops of 
the farm, equal in importance to the hay crop. 
We have tried the different methods of filling 
the silo, rapid tilling, heavy weighting, slow 
filling, using no weights, cutting the crop at 
different stages of growth from early bloom 
to almost maturity, hauling from the field be¬ 
fore wilting, and nearly cured, with the crop 
saturated with water, and tilling only in dry 
weather, and have had tho silage come out in 
all stages, from Unit with a sharp acid taste 
and smell to that iu which there was no per¬ 
ceptible sourness until after exposure to the 
air. Wo have also put up quite a variety of 
crops—corn, the sorghums, cow-peas, clover, 
sugar-cane leaves and bagasse—and have 
found that the cattle ate thosilage in ull forms 
and when the cow or steer was fed cotton 
seed and some hay with the silage it has made 
good returns in milk and in gain in weight. 
Since 1884 we have allowed the crop for 
some of the silos to get, nearly ripe and have 
filled slowly, without any tramping, and used 
no weights. We have been feeding from 100 
to 250 head of cattle—cows giving milk, fat¬ 
tening steers and young stock. We have not 
been able to make careful and accurate feed¬ 
ing tests, but we have Come to the following 
conclusions: On land adapted to corn grow¬ 
ing, corn to be fed with cotton seed is the 
most profitable ensilage crop to grow. On 
light land, the sorghums give the best results. 
Second to corn and tho sorghums we 
plane cow-peas. We seem to get the best re¬ 
sults from planting corn in rows three to four 
feet apart with from three to four stalks to 
the foot iu the rows. Thick planting gives 
more weight of crop to the acre, but less nu¬ 
triment iu proportion to cost of fertilizers and 
labor. We are led to believe that the corn 
crop should stand until the kernels are well 
formed, aud that the stalks should lie on the 
ground iu bundles 24 hours before being cut 
up and put into tho silo, and that the silo 
should be filled slowly aud without tramping 
except in the corners and along the edges. 
Covering with inch plnnkHand six to ten inches 
of sawdust preserves the silage up to the cov¬ 
ering provided the rats can be kept out. 
Thinly planted, neurly ripe corn, thoroughly 
ivilted in the field, put into the silo at. the rate 
of two to three feet per day, heats to 180 to 
140 degrees, comes out sweet and is equal iu 
feeding value to fully double the weight of 
tho immature, rapidly filled, sour silage we 
have made We are inclined to believe that 
it will not pay to put such crops as cow-peas, 
clover, millet, or any of tho forage plants that 
can be cured readily lu the field, in the silo iu 
the green state, uuless the weather prevents 
field curing. Wo find, however, that the silo 
eliminates the uncertain weather factor, for 
when we get a crop down and the weather 
changes suddenly we huul at once to tho silo. 
In feeding, we out up dry liny and straw, mix 
it with silage—one pound of hay to two of 
silage—feed as much as the animal will eat 
clean, but feed with itabout 12 poundsof whole 
cotton seed that has been boiled to a cow 
